Israel’s military has admitted that its air force applied the Hannibal Directive on October 7, reportedly firing on ‘anything that moved’ along the Gaza border to prevent the capture of its soldiers.
The Israeli military has admitted for the first time that its air force implemented the controversial Hannibal Directive on October 7, 2023, the Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Post reported on Thursday.
This controversial procedure, which included the killing of both detainees and their captors, was reportedly issued at approximately 10:30 a.m., amid attacks along the Israel-Gaza border.
The Hannibal Directive on Oct 7 – Gallant’s Admission Confirms Earlier Reports
What is the Hannibal Directive?
The Hannibal Directive is a controversial military protocol that permits the use of indiscriminate firepower, even against Israel’s own civilians, in an effort to prevent the capture of Israeli soldiers.
While officials have historically been reluctant to acknowledge its application, its use has been documented in past military operations, particularly in military operations against Gaza and Lebanon.
According to the Jerusalem Post, on October 7, the Israeli air force “fired on anything that was moving” along the border.
Israeli forces carried out approximately 945 airstrikes and fired 11,000 times from helicopters, resulting in heavy casualties, the report added.
‘Hannibal Directive’ – ABC Investigation Confirms Israeli Use of Controversial Procedure on Oct 7
Key Events on October 7
The Jerusalem Post also provided a timeline of the event on that day.
5:30 a.m. – Palestinian fighters launched an incursion into southern Israel under cover of rocket fire and drone strikes.
6:30 a.m. – The Palestinian Resistance breached Israeli border defenses at multiple points.
7:30 a.m. – The Israeli military’s forward headquarters at Kibbutz Re’im was overrun.
8:00 a.m. – Palestinian groups began transferring Israeli captives to Gaza.
10:30 a.m. – The Israeli air force initiated the Hannibal Directive, firing on moving targets along the border.
According to the report, the Israeli military is set to release the findings of its internal investigations between February 25 and March 4, prior to the appointment of a new chief of staff, Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir, on March 5.
These investigations will examine the military’s failures, its chain of command, and the decisions that led to the large-scale Palestinian operation.
‘Hannibal Directive’ – Israel has Been Killing its Captives since October 7 Itself
Earlier Reports
On February 7, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant had confirmed earlier reports regarding the use of the controversial Israeli military procedure.
In his first interview since being fired last November, Gallant was asked by the Israeli Channel 12 whether the order was given to implement the policy on that day.
“I think tactically in some places it was, in other places it was not, and that is a problem,” he answered in the interview on Thursday.
As early as December 2023, the former Israeli Labor party leader Shelly Yachimovich called for an investigation into the Israeli army’s implementation of the ‘Hannibal Directive’ in Israeli towns surrounding the Gaza Strip on October 7, the Al Jazeera Arabic website reported.
“There is a violent campaign to prevent any investigation/talk about the event from hell in which Brigadier General Hiram ordered a tank to fire and storm the house in Bari, knowingly killing 12 hostages, including children. Hannibal would be rolling over in his grave,” Yachimovich posted on X.
“The reasoning? Hiram is a “hero of Israel.” The heroes of Israel protect the children of Israel, they don’t kill them. Who am I to judge? Who is he to kill?” she added.
Links in the Chain: Masada, the ‘Samson Option,’ the ‘Hannibal Directive’ and Gaza
Instructions to Soldiers
In January 2024, the Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronoth reported that the Israeli military implemented the Hannibal Directive, killing its own soldiers and civilians in order to prevent Hamas from taking them as captives.
An investigation by the Hebrew paper revealed that the Israeli army “instructed all of its fighting units in practice on the ‘Hannibal Procedure’, although without clearly mentioning this explicit name.”
The order was to stop “at all costs any attempt by Hamas terrorists to return to Gaza, using language very similar to the original ‘Hannibal Procedure,’ despite repeated assurances by the security establishment that the procedure has been canceled,” the report said.
An Al Jazeera investigation in March last year also found “evidence that this protocol was used on Israeli civilians” on October 7.
In July 2024, the Israeli Haaretz newspaper revealed that the Israeli army ordered the activation of the Hannibal Directive on October 7.
An investigation by the newspaper confirmed that the Israeli army issued orders to ensure no vehicle was allowed to return to Gaza during the attack, despite the risk to the residents of the Gaza envelope.
“This was not the first order given by the division with the intent of foiling kidnapping even at the expense of the lives of the kidnapped, a procedure known in the army as the ‘Hannibal procedure’,” the paper reported.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
